A major exhibition titled "The Great Camouflage" is on view at the Rockbund Art Museum in Shanghai, curated by X Zhu-Nowell and Kandis Williams. The show explores 20th-century Afro-Asian revolutionary alliances and Black feminist thought through contemporary art, featuring works by artists like Pope.L, Tuan Andrew Nguyen, and Onyeka Igwe that process these histories from feminist perspectives.
The Cheng-Lan Foundation, a new independent arts initiative, has launched in Hong Kong during the city's major art week. Founded by Brian Yue, it supports artists, curators, and writers from African, Asian, Indigenous, and Latin American backgrounds through exhibitions, residencies, and commissions, with an inaugural solo show by Manila-based artist Cian Dayrit.
The National Museum of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh has launched "Bedayat: Beginnings of Saudi Art Movement," a landmark survey exhibition documenting the evolution of the country’s art scene from the 1960s through the 1980s. Curated by Qaswra Hafez and commissioned by the Visual Arts Commission, the show features a vast array of paintings, sculptures, and never-before-seen archival materials. The exhibition is organized into three sections that explore the foundations of the movement, the influence of modernization on daily life, and the specific contributions of four modernist pioneers: Mohammed Al-Saleem, Safeya Binzagr, Mounirah Mosly, and Abdulhalim Radwi.
An early self-portrait by Artemisia Gentileschi, depicting the artist as Saint Catherine of Alexandria, sold at Christie’s in New York for $5.69 million, far exceeding its $2.5–3.5 million estimate. The painting, one of only five known self-portraits by Gentileschi, was painted when she was 20 and living in Florence. The previous auction record for the artist was $5.25 million set in 2019 at Artcurial in Paris.
The National Gallery in London is preparing to unveil Artemisia Gentileschi's 'Self-Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria,' a major 2018 acquisition. However, the museum has quietly added the painting to its list of works that could have been looted during the Nazi era due to a gap in its provenance from 1615 to the 1940s, specifically concerning its ownership by the French Boudeville family during the war.
Robert Wiesenberger has been appointed as the new senior curator of contemporary art at the Brooklyn Museum. The position had been vacant since 2023, following the departure of Eugenie Tsai after 15 years. Wiesenberger is moving from his current role as a curator of contemporary art at the Clark Art Institute in Massachusetts.
Marie Antoinette, the final queen of France, is the subject of a blockbuster exhibition titled "Marie Antoinette Style" at London's V&A museum, running through March 22. The show highlights her boldly modern taste, her patronage of women artists like Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun and Anne Vallayer-Coster, and her role as the first French queen to own and redecorate her own palace, the Petit Trianon. The article details how she used her influence to secure Vigée Le Brun's admission to the Académie Royale and pressured the Louvre to exhibit Vallayer-Coster's work, while also exploring how her extravagant spending earned her the epithet "Madame Déficit" and contributed to her downfall during the French Revolution.
A new study published in *Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts* by French researcher Temenuzhka Dimova uses eye-tracking technology to examine how pointing fingers in Old Master paintings affect viewer attention. Conducted through the University of Vienna’s Laboratory for Cognitive Research in Art History (CReA), the study compared participants' eye movements when viewing original paintings—such as Theodor Rombouts's *The Card Players*—and digitally altered versions where the pointing gestures were removed. Results showed that viewers focused more on the faces of pointing figures and the narrative context, not just the target of the gesture, and that removing the finger fundamentally changed how the story was perceived.
This article explores the history and significance of illuminated manuscripts, correcting the common misconception that they were exclusively produced by medieval European monks. It highlights five standout examples, including the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, made for Jean I, Duke of Berry around 1411 by the Limbourg brothers, and the Book of Kells, created around 800 C.E. by monks of Iona Abbey. The article notes that illuminated manuscripts, defined by the decorative use of gold or silver, date back to the 4th century B.C.E. and span cultures from the Middle East to Africa and Mesoamerica, serving primarily as status symbols rather than reading material.
MoMA PS1 in New York will eliminate admission fees for all visitors starting in 2026, funded by a gift from collector and creative strategist Sonya Yu. The three-year initiative coincides with the museum's 50th anniversary and expands its existing free admission for New Yorkers to everyone. Director Connie Butler said the goal is to remove barriers and welcome broader audiences, including families with strollers, while Yu cited her own experience as a Chinese immigrant to explain her motivation.
Pieter Brueghel the Younger's painting *The Census at Bethlehem* sold for £5.2 million ($6.9 million) at Sotheby’s Old Master and 19th Century Paintings evening auction in London on December 3, exceeding its £3 million low estimate. The unsigned, undated oil-on-panel work, kept in the same collection for nearly 40 years, was the third-highest seller of the night. The auction overall achieved £30.7 million ($40.5 million), led by Rembrandt's *Saint John on Patmos* at £6.8 million, and Sotheby’s reported a nearly 50% increase in its Old Masters division sales this year.
Artnet News published a ranked list of Caravaggio's top 10 paintings, highlighting works such as 'Victorious Cupid' (1601–02), 'The Cardsharps' (c. 1594), 'Young Sick Bacchus' (c. 1593), 'The Incredulity of Saint Thomas' (1602), 'Supper at Emmaus' (1601), 'Narcissus' (1597–99), and 'Boy Bitten by a Lizard' (1594–96). The article scores each painting on storytelling, behind-the-scenes intrigue, and sheer audacity, and notes that 'Victorious Cupid' recently went on view in the U.K. for the first time.
David Adjaye has publicly spoken out against the sexual misconduct allegations made against him in 2023, calling a Financial Times article that detailed the claims “deeply unfair” and claiming he was caught in a “#MeToo slam.” In an interview with architecture critic Tim Abrahams for the podcast Superhumanism, reported by Dezeen, Adjaye said the FT story destabilized confidence in him and that there was no interest in hearing his side. He did not explain why he believed the reporting was unfair, despite having declined to comment to multiple outlets at the time. The allegations, which included sexual harassment and assault claims from three women, led several institutions to cut ties with Adjaye, most notably the Studio Museum in Harlem, which had just opened a new building designed by his firm.
Sotheby's Hong Kong sold 125 works from Japan's Okada Museum of Art in a white-glove auction on Saturday, netting $88 million (plus fees). The sale set auction records for Japanese artists Kitagawa Utamaro and Hokusai, with Utamaro's *Fukagawa in Snow* fetching $7.1 million and Hokusai's *The Great Wave Off the Coast of Kanagawa* selling for $2.8 million. The collection was sold by museum founder Kazuo Okada, an 83-year-old billionaire, to settle a $50 million legal bill stemming from a long-running feud with casino magnate Steve Wynn. Okada's law firm, Bartlit Beck, successfully pursued the fee in binding arbitration after Okada contested the amount.
The British Museum has announced a major 2026 exhibition titled "Samurai" that will trace the 1,000-year history of Japan's warrior class. Spanning armor, woodblock prints, paintings, clothing, ceramics, and contemporary media, the show brings together 280 objects from the museum's own collection and international lenders. Highlights include a 17th-century suit of armor recently acquired by the museum, a portrait of envoy Mancio Itō by Domenico Tintoretto, and works by Katsushika Hokusai. The exhibition also examines the modern myth of the samurai as shaped by film, manga, and video games such as Akira Kurosawa's movies and Assassin's Creed: Shadows.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York will open a landmark exhibition dedicated to Renaissance master Raphael in 2026. Titled "Raphael: Sublime Poetry," the show runs from March 29 to June 28 and will be the first major Raphael retrospective ever mounted in the United States. Curated by Carmen Bambach, the exhibition brings together 200 works including paintings, drawings, tapestries, and decorative arts, with loans from major museums worldwide such as the Louvre, the Uffizi, the Prado, and the Vatican Museums. Key loans include the Louvre's "Portrait of Baldassarre Castiglione" and the Galleria Borghese's "Portrait of a Lady with a Unicorn."
The UCCA Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing allegedly withheld staff wages for six months from January to June, according to the South China Morning Post. The institution, founded by the late Belgian collectors Guy and Myriam Ullens in 2007, has faced financial challenges including lower ticket sales, higher international freight costs, stricter rental demands from its landlord in Beijing's 798 Art District, and difficulty collecting payments from international partners. Its Shanghai branch, UCCA Edge, has seen no activity since June after an exhibition co-presented with the Saudi Ministry of Culture. Director Philip Tinari acknowledged a difficult year for museums in China, citing a slower consumer economy, and said the UCCA is working on long-term funding solutions.
A rediscovered Baroque painting by 17th-century Neapolitan artist Diana de Rosa, titled *Salome with the Head of Saint John the Baptist*, sold for £317,500 ($436,086) at Sotheby’s Old Masters and 19th Century Paintings sale in London on July 2, more than quadrupling its high estimate. The work, previously unknown to scholars, set a new auction record for the artist and was described by Sotheby’s specialist Elisabeth Lobkowicz as a powerful image comparable to Caravaggio’s treatment of the same subject.
The Cleveland Museum of Art has acquired Giambologna's marble sculpture *Fata Morgana* (ca. 1572), believed to be the last marble work by the Flanders-born Italian Mannerist in private hands. The piece, which depicts a nude woman emerging from a grotto, was originally commissioned by banker Bernardo Vecchietti and remained with his family for 200 years before being sold in 1775. It was misattributed for centuries until London dealer Patricia Wengraf correctly identified it at a 1989 Christie's auction, purchasing it for £715,000. The museum acquired the sculpture for an undisclosed price, making it only the second Giambologna marble in the U.S. and one of just three outside Italy.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Swiss luxury watchmaker Vacheron Constantin have announced the inaugural class of their new Artisan Residency, an 18-month program aimed at nurturing traditional craft techniques while encouraging contemporary innovation. The first cohort includes American furniture maker Aspen Golann, Egyptian ceramicist Ibrahim Said, and Italian jeweler Joy Harvey, selected from a worldwide open call. The artisans will study The Met's collections and work with Vacheron Constantin's master craftsmen in New York and Geneva, with a public presentation of their completed works planned for 2026.
A new exhibition in Paris, "Artemisia Gentileschi: Heroine of Art," at the Musée Jacquemart-André, presents around 40 paintings by the Italian Baroque painter, including four recently rediscovered works. Curator Patrizia Cavazzini deliberately shifts focus away from Gentileschi's rape and trial, instead highlighting her artistic development and achievements. Among the rediscovered pieces are "Virgin of the Annunciation" (c. 1609-10), one of her earliest known works, and a signed portrait of a Knight of the Order of Saint Stephen (c. 1619-20), previously misattributed to Justus Sustermans.
This excerpt from Tourmaline's forthcoming book "Marsha: the Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson" (Tiny Reparations, May 20) focuses on Marsha P. Johnson's use of hand-sewn banners and textile art as tools of activism and joy within the gay liberation movement. It describes her creation of banners reading "GAY POOOR PEOPLE" and "Gay Love," the latter borrowed by the Hot Peaches theater troupe, and her broader artistic practice spanning acting, performance, fashion, and songwriting. The text also notes artist Tuesday Smilie's 2018 recreation of Johnson's STAR banner for an exhibit at the Rose Art Museum.
In a recent edition of Artnet Pro's newsletter 'The Asia Pivot', the director of CHAT (Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile) in Hong Kong reflects on highlights from Art Basel Hong Kong, including textile-based works by Movana Chen, Huan Po-Chi, and Ade Darmawan. The article discusses the growing engagement of contemporary artists with traditional craft practices like weaving, embroidery, and dyeing, particularly during the pandemic, and notes the distinct lineage of fiber art in Asia compared to the West, where it emerged as a subgenre of Modernism in the 1960s.
London's National Gallery has acquired a mysterious altarpiece painted by an unknown artist around 1510, paying £16.4 million ($21.8 million) for the work titled *The Virgin and Child with Saints Louis and Margaret*. The painting, arranged via a private sale by Sotheby's and funded by the American Friends of the National Gallery London, features unusual details including a uniquely expressive dragon beneath baby Jesus's feet, playful angels, and subtle symbolic references. The acquisition marks the museum's bicentennial and will go on public display on May 10 in the rehung Sainsbury Wing.
An exhibition titled "The King's Tour Artists" will open at Buckingham Palace on July 10, showcasing over 70 works created by 42 artists who accompanied King Charles on international royal tours over the past four decades. The tradition began in 1985 when the then-Prince of Charles invited artist John Ward to join his tour of Italy, and has continued unbroken ever since, with artists capturing landscapes, figure studies, and historic moments such as the British handover of Hong Kong in 1997. Featured works include Richard Foster's depiction of Charles and Camilla on North Seymour Island in the Galápagos, and Susannah Fiennes's painting of sailors lowering the flag on HMY Britannia.
London's National Gallery has acquired a $20 million altarpiece, *The Virgin and Child with Saints Louis and Margaret and Two Angels* (1500-10), by an unknown artist. The purchase, funded by the American Friends of the National Gallery of London and brokered by Sotheby's, was made from a private collection to celebrate the museum's bicentenary. The painting, first documented in 1602 in Ghent, Belgium, features iconographical oddities including a unique dragon and a bawdy scene, and is painted on Baltic oak, suggesting a Netherlandish origin despite French elements like the fleur-de-lis.
The 11th edition of the Chobi Mela photography festival has opened in Dhaka, Bangladesh, under the curatorial direction of artists Munem Wasif and Sarker Protick. With the theme 'Re,' the festival presents work from 58 artists across nine exhibitions, aiming to explore renewal and tenacity in lens-based storytelling following the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic and the July 2024 uprising.
Kengo Kuma and Associates has been selected to lead the design of a massive £750 million extension to London’s National Gallery, titled Project Domani. The Tokyo-based firm won the commission over sixty-four other competitors and will collaborate with UK firms BDP and MICA to develop the new wing on land currently occupied by a hotel and office complex. The design features a dual-level approach, utilizing vaults and arches on the main floor to harmonize with existing galleries while introducing a modern geometric aesthetic on the upper level.
L’artista italiano che parte dall’Isola d’Elba in barca a vela per raggiungere Sant’Elena: si parla di potere e si gira un film
Italian artist Luca Vitone (born Genoa, 1964) has launched a project titled "Pro Tempore," which involves a two-month sailing journey from the Island of Elba—Napoleon Bonaparte's first place of exile—to the remote island of Saint Helena, where Napoleon died in exile. The voyage, aboard the boat Adriatica, includes four intermediate stops (Balearic Islands, Algeciras, Canary Islands, Cape Verde) and is funded by the 14th edition of the Italian Council grant, in partnership with the Fondazione Oelle. The project explores the concept of temporary power and uses Napoleon's biography and the sea as metaphors for control and instability.
Johnnie Shand Kydd, a former art dealer turned photographer, reflects on his intimate black-and-white photographs of the Young British Artists (YBAs) in the 1990s, capturing figures like Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst, and Sarah Lucas in candid, hedonistic moments rather than traditional studio portraits. Now 66, Shand Kydd has a new exhibition titled 'Ramsholt' at Emin's gallery in Margate, featuring photographs from his dog-walking route, which will also be published as a photobook.